Between Brothers
by Silent Scribe
Summary: Post-manga. It's been a while since Kagome's return and Inuyasha finds himself in fix. How involved Sesshomaru wants to be with his brother's family is an entirely diffent matter. Rated T for a certain hanyo's mouth.


_Author's Note: Finally, a chance for just a good, clean one-shot. Enjoy!_

**Between Brothers**

Inuyasha did not want to do this. It was probably dangerous and it was certainly humiliating. Asking for Sesshomaru's advice in such a matter only stoked the embers of his position as an "inferior" half-demon.

_But what if it's not even that? What if it's just…me?_

White mane bristling, Inuyasha shuddered off the chilling prospect and forged ahead.

Sesshomaru stood solemnly on a grassy knoll overlooking the village. Even with that spaced-out gaze, Inuyasha knew his half-brother was perfectly alert and didn't miss his light-footed approach.

"Hey," Inuyasha called, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

Sesshomaru didn't turn around.

"Hey, asshole, I'm talkin' t'you!" He reconsidered the manner of his greeting seconds too late. _Great, that's really going to make him wanna help me now. _

The daiyokai finally deigned a glance over his armored shoulder. "I hope this is worth my time," he droned.

Inuyasha almost backed down. He could always try and figure the problem out himself.

_But what about Kagome?_

She was the whole reason he was here. The idea was completely Inuyasha's, yes, and it was the best one he'd had in the year since she returned after that long, lonely eternity. Going to someone who knew a thing or two about their family was the ideal choice and now a little fear was going to stop him? His dumbass pride would jeopardize Kagome's happiness? Inuyasha got angry and that definitely felt a hell of a lot better.

"Yeah, it's worth your damn time, " the hanyo challenged. "What else do you have goin' f'r ya?"

Sesshomaru didn't care for the insolence, but he shrugged all the same. Something was truly agitating the halfling. "Let's have it."

Inuyasha swallowed. This was it. He did his best to spew out months of incompetence in one excruciating mouthful. "Is there a special way we do it?"

Magenta lids fluttered in a slow sweep of eyelashes. "Excuse me?"

_Terrific_. He would have to say it again. As Inuyasha drew a second breath, Sesshomaru's hand came up to silence him.

"By 'do it,'" the dog-demon said coolly, "you mean 'reproduce'?"

Inuyasha huffed. "Yeah."

"It's only the same as any other bestial creature." Sesshomaru returned to his view.

"Oh." The half-demon's ears flattened in despair. So it was all him. _Damn_. He made to leave.

"Are you having trouble…conceiving?"

Inuyasha stopped at his half-sibling's sudden inquiry, the defensive "what's it to ya?" on the tip of his tongue. Then he remembered who started this whole ridiculous conversation. "Yeah, we are."

"You are half-demon," Sesshomaru pronounced, and Inuyasha snarled. "To that end, you are also half-human," he continued fluidly, attention returned to his younger brother. "It would seem that as a hybrid you are incapable of producing offspring."

"What the _hell_ does that mean?"

Sesshomaru sighed and proceeded to explain in a tone reserved for markedly slow children. "Horses beget horses and asses onto their own. Together the two species produce mules. However, mules do not beget more mules." Crossing his arms within his voluminous sleeves, the Western Lord turned away. His generosity was tapped for the day.

Inuyasha still tugged pensively on an ear. "So are you sayin' that I have to be a 'horse' for a night?"

Unable to resist, Sesshomaru indulged a smirk. "Say, that _is_ a change from being an ass every day."

"Huh!" Inuyasha snorted indignantly. "Well, I must get it from your side, then." And he quickly bounded off before Sesshomaru either literally or figuratively put one over his head. Though, this little bit of verbal sparring was perhaps the gentlest service Sesshomaru had ever provided.

The half-demon's leaps gained altitude with every spring. Next week was a new moon and, for the first time in his whole existence, Inuyasha anticipated the moonless night.

--

**_Nine months later._**

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin dashed up to the daiyokai the next visit he paid her village.

"Hmm?" he hummed, nonchalantly placing a new ivory comb where his ward's childish ponytail had once sprung.

"Lady Kagome just birthed but three days ago! It's the most adorable thing in the world!" Rin gushed. "You really ought to see it!"

"Is that so?" Curious to observe the results of his advice – or as the daiyokai privately called it, his "experiment" – Sesshomaru followed Rin to a cozy little hut.

"Well, if it ain't the sulky uncle," Inuyasha teased from across the room to see his half-brother leaning in the threshold.

"I claim no ties to any human child of yours," Sesshomaru sniffed. "His existence is entirely your own doing."

Inuyasha was about to argue the point when he realized the other Sesshomaru had veiled. In his own twisted, arrogant way, the bastard was letting Inuyasha keep his dignity.

Kagome laughed softly from where she sat rocking the infant, the joy so bare on her face. "Can you see him from over there, brother-in-law?"

"Perfectly," he replied, gritting his fangs. That woman was insufferable, still trying to affix familial ties to him. Now even the half-breed was toying with the idea of "uncle." _Ridiculous!_ The babe had black hair, rounded ears, and blunted little fingers like any other human – a blessing its father never knew.

"But, m'lord," Rin called from Kagome's side. "I don't think you can see his most stunning feature!"

"And that would be…?" Sesshomaru lurched closer and he was confronted with a pair of unmistakably golden eyes.

Rin giggled at the sight of her guardian's own amber gaze widening. "I think 'uncle' is very fitting."

--

_A/N: I really just wanted a one-shot to get some fresh material out there. I also think this a reason why we don't see Kagome running into any future Inuyasha off-spring – heh,heh. Reviews appreciated!_


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